Strategy = what we want to do (general, long-term plan).
Tactics = how we want to do this.
In this article, we will present several tactics that you can apply to a greater or lesser extent. However, remember that some of them will require more effort than others. If you have a limited budget, consider which tactic will bring the greatest benefits and start implementing them.
Quick Link Acquisition - Quick-Win
fast link acquisition
Quick acquisition of external links
Here are some simple tactics to use to build your link profile. They won’t take long to implement, and the links are valuable and worth focusing on, if only because they’re easy to get.
Broken Link Building
This tactic involves finding pages (related to your industry) with a broken outbound link. In such a situation, you can contact the site administrator and inform them that the link is broken, or you can suggest that they update the link to point to selected content on your site.
A quick way to look for broken links is to look at your competitors’ backlink profile, and you can do this using the Broken Links option in Ahrefs, for example.
broken links in ahrefs tool
Broken external links in ahrefs tool
Internal link optimization
Internal linking is one of the easiest tactics, but in many cases it is underestimated. It involves linking one page (your website) to another page (your website). This creates a structure of interconnected pages that support each other in the SEO process.
internal links - internal linking
Internal linking
For example, if you have a blog that you have been running for two years, systematically publishing new articles on it, and you also have older entries, start linking to the new ones in them, so that from the page that is already indexed, the robots will go to the page that is to be indexed. If you want to boost a certain position, it is best to use exact match as an anchor and it is worth linking from subpages with high traffic/authority.
Posting reviews in exchange for a backlink from companies you work with.
This is a very interesting method that usually does not require a lot of time. All you have to do is find companies that you currently work with (tools you use, vendors, suppliers, programs) and ask if you can leave a review or opinion in exchange for a backlink. Companies usually accept such a link exchange proposal because such an opinion or review can help them gain new customers.
Links on company and supplier websites.
This is a tactic that is suitable for retailers, and it involves building links from the websites of brands that you sell or suppliers of products. These are usually large websites that have a lot of traffic and can definitely help us.
Make a list of the suppliers you work with and the brands of products you sell, find their websites. Now all you need to do is send an email asking how you can get a link to your site. Some suppliers and manufacturers have a list of distributors on their sites, so if you are not listed, you can ask them if they can help you add your site.
Traditional Link Building Tactics
traditional link building tactics
traditional link building tactics
In the process of building a link profile, in addition to using new, interesting tactics, you should not forget about traditional solutions that still bring positive results in website positioning. I will try to list a few tactics in this point.
Catalogs
This is one of the basic and most well-known methods of acquiring links. It involves placing a business card of a given company with a link to the website on a business directory site. Is this spammy? Such sites usually exist to connect with others and do not provide much value to users. However, it is not worth underestimating this method, because it is a good way to acquire good connections, especially if you operate in a narrower niche and run a local business.
Start by finding regional directories, because they are easier to stand out in than national directories, where you can find companies from all over the country. It is also worth looking for industry directories that are thematically related to your business. The purpose of such directories is to help visitors find the right company.
Often, links from such directories are marked with the rel="nofollow" parameter. However, this should not discourage you from acquiring them, as they help diversify your link profile.
Guest posting
Guest posting remains a great way to acquire links. It is overseas chinese in worldwide data publishing your own posts on friendly websites or blogs operating in the same industry. In this way, you can additionally share your knowledge and experiences. It is not only a great way to build a link profile, but also a chance to create your own image as an expert in the industry.
This is a difficult method, because finding the right blog that will agree to such an entry is not easy and takes a lot of time. Sometimes it is also associated with costs - you have to write or commission someone to write a valuable and interesting text and prepare graphics.
The advantage of guest posting is that it may be difficult or even impossible for your competitors to replicate your link.
Commenting on articles and adding links on forums
This is a method of participating in a given topic by creating a comment in which we add a link. These are the types of links that may violate Google's guidelines, but not in every case. Remember not to add comments with a link anywhere, because it is simply spam (often the editors themselves delete such comments). Try to find an interesting place where you will be able to contribute value to the discussion and only post a link when it is fully justified. Additionally, it is also good to add extensive thematic statements, instead of short mentions with a link.
It is worth adding that such links from comments or forum posts often have a rel="ugc" attribute. This informs search engines that the link comes from user-generated content and may have less value in terms of positioning the page in search results. Although such links can help diversify the link profile, they do not convey as much power as dofollow links. Therefore, although commenting on articles and posting on forums can be part of a link building strategy, it is worth using this technique in moderation and remembering the quality of the links and the content in which they appear.
Link exchange
“I’ll add a link pointing to you, and you to me” – this seemingly simple technique requires some effort. While finding a link exchange partner among business partners shouldn’t be a big deal, getting one in a highly competitive industry can be nearly impossible.
paid link building tactics
paid creation of link acquisition tactics for your site
Sponsored articles, blog posts
A popular method is paid acquisition of links from sponsored posts or articles. There are many bloggers online who have spent time building a community and provide the opportunity to place an external article on their blog. Some of them do it free of charge, but there are also those for whom it is a source of income. This solution - although it contradicts Google's guidelines - is eagerly used by many specialists. Dofollow links from popular blogs or portals bring the desired effect, but you have to reckon with the costs - sometimes quite significant.
Collaboration with a blogger can involve publishing a previously prepared sponsored article, piece of content, or blog post. It often also involves promoting it on social media.
This technique not only allows you to acquire valuable links, but can also help you gain new readers or customers. In this way, we also build a brand image.
Product Review
You run a store or are a manufacturer. Find a well-known blogger and send them a product to review and blog about. Having a product reviewed by an influential and popular blogger can be a great way to introduce your brand to new people. This way, you will reach new audiences.
Private Blog Networks (PBN) – SEO Backend
Private Blog Networks (PBNs) , or private SEO backends, are a link building technique that involves creating a group of websites that are designed to link to a main website in order to improve its position in search results. PBNs are usually separate domains that the owner controls and manages to pass link juice to the target page. While PBNs can quickly yield results in the form of higher rankings, they are considered a risky method by Google's algorithms.
This technique is based on acquiring high-authority, often expired domains, which are reactivated and supplemented with content, and then linked to the main page. Each page in PBN should have unique, valuable content related thematically to the industry or niche of the target page. It is worth ensuring that the content is substantive and attractive, and not just stuffed with keywords. Using copy of content can easily give away that the page is part of a backend network.
Building a link profile using PBNs, however, requires a lot of resources and care to hide patterns that could give away the existence of such a network. For this reason, PBNs are classified as a black hat SEO technique because they violate Google’s guidelines for ethical link acquisition.
Sponsorship
Are you sponsoring local sports teams, competitions, events or meetings? You can try to include a link to your website in addition to listing your company as a sponsor.
Ideally, your company should be thematically related to the organization or event you are sponsoring. However, this is not a requirement. Links obtained through this tactic usually lead to the page by branding, URL, or are embedded in images.
Summary
We've reached the end. I hope you found this article useful and that it encourages you to test new link acquisition tactics.
Link building is not one of the easiest tasks, it is time-consuming, sometimes expensive, and sometimes risky. However, it is a necessary element if we want to fight for high positions in search results. Thanks to this article, you already know how to act and you can base your link building strategy on several of the techniques given above.
